This offseason, Cubs' questions far outnumber the certainties
The end of a season is when analysts typically compose stories along the lines of "Five questions for the Cubs' offseason."
In this case, though, there might be five questions per position on the field, plus some spending concerns as the Cubs head into what should be an eventful winter.
President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer will meet with the media Monday to answer questions, so maybe that will create some clarity.
At the same time, many of these questions will involve who is healthy, who looks good in spring training, which players might want to sign up for a stint on the North Side and what sort of limits will be imposed on the payroll.
There aren't many knowns heading into next season. It's probably safe to say Seiya Suzuki will be back in right field, since he's signed for four more years and had a good finish to the season. The return of catcher Yan Gomes feels like another sure thing.
The starting rotation will almost certainly include Marcus Stroman and Justin Steele, barring any injury issues. Beyond that, there is no shortage of options. They can bring back Adrian Sampson and exercise an option year for Drew Smyly. Keegan Thompson could land in the rotation or bullpen. Kyle Hendricks will be trying to regain his old form.
Rookies Hunter Wesneski and Javier Assad finished the season as strong rotation candidates, while other prospects like Caleb Kilian, Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown could be knocking on the door.
Ian Happ figures to be back in left field for his final season before hitting free-agency. How long he stays there is in question, with Brennen Davis and Alexander Canario as potential future candidates.
Nico Hoerner will be back, but does he stay at shortstop? This year's free-agent class is highlighted in part by four shortstops - Dansby Swanson, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Carlos Correa.
Unless something surprising happens in the spring, expect Christopher Morel to be back. He was a dream as a rookie with versatile skills, amazing attitude and overall propensity for exciting plays. Will he stick in center field while highly rated prospect Pete Crow Armstrong develops? Where will he land longer term?
Will the Cubs make an attempt to re-sign catcher Willson Contreras? This is a tough one to figure out. As much as Contreras wants to return, you'd think it would be easy to make happen, but there are reports that replacing Yadier Molina in St. Louis is already on his mind.
Should the Cubs plug in Matt Mervis as the every day first baseman next year? That's something that could depend on spring training performance, but the Cubs still have to make some sort of plan this winter. Mervis was arguably the best hitter in minor-league baseball, finishing with a .309 average, 36 home runs and 119 RBI at three levels,
The easiest solution might be to bring back Patrick Wisdom and P.J. Higgins as another first base option if it turns out Mervis isn't yet ready for the big leagues.
Do the Cubs need to add a closer or do they already have someone who can handle that role? The bullpen is another spot with plenty of options, but it seems like importing a closer would be a smart move. Brandon Hughes, Mark Leiter Jr. and Michael Rucker were solid in the second half. Rowan Wick and Manuel Rodriguez had 9 saves between them.
The Cubs expect to have Codi Heuer back from Tommy John surgery, Adbert Alzolay will likely stay in the pen and there are some big arms still developing in the minors.
Just to tack on a few more questions, there's a sizable list of players with uncertain futures, including Franmil Reyes, Nick Madrigal, David Bote, Zach McKinstry, Alec Mills and Rafael Ortega. Nelson Velazquez had some moments, but hit just .205 and could return to the minors.
Will the Cubs pursue a free agent starting pitcher, thinking they need a stronger No. 1? How many years would they commit to one of the sought-after shortstops? What's the downside to keeping Contreras in blue pinstripes?
It's a lengthy list and the questions may grow over the next several months.
Twitter: @McGrawDHSports